


Immortal Over the Earth

by lanataego



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mana Transfer, Master/Servant, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-03-02 07:42:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18806737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanataego/pseuds/lanataego
Summary: Two thousand years of ruling a perfect world leaves a lot to catch up on.(In which Qin Shi Huang experiences life as a servant and is not prepared for any of it.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Disclaimer: this was finished in late 2019. Inevitably the characterisation might drift from canon as more content is released and officially translated. Hopefully not too far though! I had a lot of fun.)

The energy in the summoning room was overwhelming. Ritsuka could feel her magical circuits pulse and ebb with the completed ritual as the circle of electric blue light crackled and flashed, the body of the servant who had answered humanity’s call materialising within.

With a final flash of light the summoning was complete, and Ritsuka looked up from where she was bowed.

The servant’s form was vast and transcendent and genderless. Lithe, ethereal limbs were seamlessly attired with unearthly clothes adorned in patterns like living quicksilver. Long, flowing hair framed an arresting face whose perfect symmetry and inhuman beauty betrayed their unnatural origins. The emperor’s very appearance, designed entirely by his own hand, was something foreign to the world Ritsuka had grown up in. A pair of hypnotically red eyes fixed on her.

“You needn’t fear Us,” Qin Shi Huang said, perhaps mistaking her stunned silence for unease. “Stand. We have seen it fit to oversee this world from your side, as a servant.”

Even his voice and presence marked him out as something separate from the history Chaldea’s survivors had risked their lives to maintain. Aside from the most obvious visual differences between them, there was also a significant height difference, which required some looking up on Ritsuka’s part even as she got to her feet.

She nodded her head in a respectful and slightly awestruck bow, then stood, and smiled. “It’s an honour to see you, Your Majesty. I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“You doubted Us?”

Before Ritsuka could offer an explanation, The First Emperor held up a hand. “We are completely dedicated to aiding humanity—whichever form humanity takes.”

Ritsuka thought the turn of phrase sounded encouraging and not of the world domination persuasion, and so smiled brightly. “I’m glad.”

She bowed a single time more for what felt like good measure, then said; “There’s a lot to catch up on, but first I feel like I should probably, uh—apologise. Our base is quite humble for an emperor right now, as we’ve had a few, um, world-enveloping crises. I’m really sorry that things aren’t in better condition. But, there are still rooms spare—if you’d like to have one, while you’re here.”

“A room for Us?” the First Emperor considered this with some thoughtfulness. “We fail to understand why you apologise. From what We understand, heroic spirits shouldn’t need sleep, but your display of dedication is noted. Have you been considering creating a new SIN Empire in this history after all? Perhaps you have come round to Our way of thinking and wish to assist Us.”

Perhaps she had been too quick to write off the Emperor’s penchant for world domination plans. “No thank you,” she said firmly, “but thank you for the offer. I’d like the world saved as it is, if possible.”

The Emperor’s expression darkened slightly, and for a moment Ritsuka thought she heard him hum under his breath. “We may still end up enemies, of course—if your plan to rescue this ailing history falls through, umu.”

Ritsuka hadn’t expected any other response from the Eternal Emperor of Qin, and held her ground as best as she could. “Could I propose a compromise to you?”

“We are intrigued. You may speak.”

“Maybe see what you think of it first, before you try to take it over?”

The very idea seemed humorous to the Emperor, who laughed first under his breath and then outright, two elegantly clawed hands resting over his hips in  proud amusement. “ _Ho~_? Of course, disagreement is natural. But, did We not tell you that We were looking forward to seeing what another humanity could accomplish? We shall see! If you show Us the merits of pan-human history, We may be persuaded against taking it over.”

“Really?”

“We will accompany you, at your side. We aren’t so detached from the nature of this history’s humans as to think you would immediately agree with Us and do as We wish. We were summoned fully prepared to compromise.”

Ritsuka hadn’t been expecting such openness from Qin Shi Huang; in truth, she had met servants far less willing to accept the differences between their time and the modern world, and those had originated in the same timeline as her. The optimism must have shown on her face, because the emperor tilted his head with interest.

“What is that expression for?”

“Oh, it’s kind of embarrassing—I’m really grateful to you for answering the summon.”

The emperor nodded approvingly. “As you should be. There is no need to feel embarrassment for showing the appropriate degree of respect.”

“Thank you? Oh, I just thought—you should come meet everyone. The last time wasn’t on the best terms, so I think it would be good for everyone to meet properly.” Then, remembering her manners in talking to an almost-god, added- “Your Majesty doesn’t have to, of course.”

Qin Shi Huang nodded. “A perfectly logical suggestion. Show Us the way. Also, We will require a complete plan of the building's internal layout and its longitude and latitude, as We are lacking in data.”

Ritsuka tried to translate the distinct manner he spoke into plain language as best as she could, praying she had got the gist of it. “Do you mean you’d like a tour, and to know where we are?"

The emperor paused for longer than was necessary. “Yes. You can put it like that if you wish.”

*

"Your Majesty,” Ritsuka said, on catching him in the control room less than a day later, “did you finish reading up on this timeline's history?"

Qin Shi Huang was staring into the computer screen with an expression of utmost concentration. One clawed finger was playing with the scroll wheel, another intermittently tapping the desk. "We are nearly through this file. If you will wait, We'll be done presently."

Ritsuka nodded and sat down on a spare chair.

As with most servants, some innate knowledge of an era's technology and state was present at summoning, but it was always the bare minimum and came with surprising gaps. However, nothing could have accounted for the initial curiosity followed by the absolute shock the ruler seemed to experience upon looking through an abridged history of pan-human history.

As powerful and ancient a presence as Shi Huangdi was, there was something entrancing and very new about his expressions while he read. Hundreds of years of what a lone ruler would view as chaotic history unfolded in front of his eyes, and with a form unused to having any facial expressions to hide, he was as readable as the books he’d despised.

At the end of the page, his frown deepened so greatly that he appeared almost concerned.

"We have looked, of course—but dear Us, what can We say about it? There is simply no coherent pattern to be made from the nonsense that constitutes your history."

Ritsuka tried not to laugh but couldn't quite stop herself in time.

The emperor turned to her with a stern look in his eyes. "Have We amused you?"

"I'm really sorry, it's just- that's what a history full of people with free will is like. Lots of people making lots of mistakes, one after another.”

"If the knowledge of this world was not shared, and was instead centralised as it was within the SIN Empire, there would not be such a mess of suffering. It is not too late to begin a new empire, you know. We did mean it, when We said you would have pride of place as a retainer. You would suit the role well.”

“Thank you very much,” she smiled, seeing the compliment for what it was. “I'll think about it.”

He blew air out of his his mouth in a huff that Ritsuka thought was far more endearing than he intended or realised.  “It is just as well We allowed Ourself to be summoned. It is starkly apparent that you need some assistance maintaining order.”

*

Valentine's in Chaldea had once been the day of the year Ritsuka dreaded the most. Something about the emotional nature of servants combined with a genuine desire to please made for an explosive and overwhelming atmosphere. It required her to plan her day down to the minute and to skilfully talk her way through the danger areas, especially those concerning strange demands, rising jealousies and graceful acceptance of gifts most logical people would shun.

However, all of the gifts she had ever received from servants were made with the intention to provide joy, or at the very least to express some kind of appreciation. Despite some of them being somewhat frightening or downright dangerous, she couldn’t help but thank each of them genuinely for the good intentions.

With the chaos of the previous years at the forefront of her mind, Ritsuka was surprised that her plan to give something to Qin Shi Huang went without a hitch.

Truthfully, she had not been sure if he would appreciate the tribute but ultimately leave it untouched or despise it as a symbol of lawlessness among humanity's celebrations, but what she hadn’t been counting on was the amazement the homemade chocolate was met with. It seemed that it was only through restraint and some pride that the ruler did not ask for more.

“Our form as a palace didn’t necessitate any kind of sustenance as you would consider it," he half rambled, half explained- "and while Our formed body had a tongue- to be complete, of course—as a servant, there is no true necessity for meals either…”

Ritsuka couldn’t imagine how chocolate would taste to a person who’s only consideration of food for two thousand years had been the distribution of genetically modified wheat. She looked at the emperor and tried not to smile. “Lots of servants like to eat, though. They’re still people, and there’s lots of new things to try when you’re summoned two thousand years into a different timeline.”

He ran the tip of a long clawed finger over the side of his lip, seemingly deep in some serious and complex thought.

She didn’t have the heart to tell him that, while she had been fighting long enough to be considered a very experienced master, she was was little more than an amateur on the confectionery making front.

The ruler eventually composed himself enough to look her in the eyes when he spoke. “Food from nonhuman history... As We have said, We didn't judge any food culture worthy necessary to Our form, umu, so Our empire ceased to have it.”

“Did the chocolate make you curious about the cooking in this history?”

This seemed to be another question that required a careful answer.

“Somewhat. Though, the greed and desire induced by these will surely cause chaos, which is pitiful and unnecessary. Truly, We believe they should be banned.”

Ritsuka glanced up at him, thinking the taste of the sweets must have made a strong impression if he were proposing to ban them on the spot. “Do you think I should give up on the day?”

“Not necessarily,” said the Emperor. “Though, We have decided to bestow upon you something in return. It is customary on this day to prove your favoured retainers with gifts, is it not? If you will wait, We should not be long.”

With that, Ritsuka made up her mind. The emperor was in high spirits, given away by his expression and the glow from her magical circuits. The bond between servant and master was a close one, and from her many bonds and many encounters, she had learnt to keenly tell things formally trained masters without ever having contracted with a servant rarely could. It was not as if she needed any magic to tell, however—his expression gave him away entirely.

She gave him her brightest smile. “I’d be honoured. But, firstly, would you come with me, your Majesty? The kitchen should be empty by now. I’d really like to show you something else.”

“Is it of importance?”

Ritsuka shook her head. “Nothing strategical, exactly. I just want to persuade you that this world has some good things.”

A brief expression of surprise flitted over Shi Huangdi’s beautiful features. “We hope you don’t think, for all the problems this world has, that We find nothing of worth here? This world has plenty of things of wonder—chief among them being you, of course.”

Ritsuka didn't think he realised the gravity of what he'd just said, and could only try not to avert her eyes under the weight of the praise.

“You do not value yourself enough! Well, come now. Show Us what it is you plan to dedicate to Us. We are in a mood to receive gifts.”

*

The location Ritsuka was keen to take him to was evidently not the one the ruler was expecting, though he sat down when advised and looked on with interest.

“A chef as well as a retainer… fascinating, umu.”

Across from Ritsuka, the emperor sat at the counter-top island. His silvery deity-like countenance and ornate clothes were almost comically out of place within the sleek, undecorated kitchen of the base.

His eyes followed each movement of the sizzling frying pan and the spatula with diligent attentiveness.

“We do possess memories of being waited on. We were a human before We took on Our palatial form, but it was a very long time ago. We don’t recall anything particular of taste, nor of hunger.”

On the stove, Ritsuka was assembling a meal with the fresh ingredients in the fridge; udon noodles with broth and vegetables and chicken. She was surprised and delighted that nothing she needed had gone mysteriously missing, as food often did around servants.

“You’re probably not sure what to expect, then. Really, I think some servants get hungry because they want to get hungry, or they expect to.”

“And it is shameful,” the emperor added. “Are We right in assuming they are using resources needed by the people?”

Ritsuka was not yet fluent in Qin Shi Huang, but she could safely assume he meant the human staff.

“I think they’d stop, if we had a real shortage. It’s just that eating makes servants happy, I think. It’s kind of a... hobby?” Ritsuka felt it necessary to defend her servants, even if the Emperor was on a whole, completely correct about their resource wasting. She laughed lightly as she stirred. “This is just about done, then.”

With care not to spill anything, she placed the drained noodles in the bottom of the bowl and then filled it up around them with the warm broth. She placed the freshly cooked chicken and spring onions on top, so they submerged slightly within the soup. Finally, she placed the egg and the placed the full bowl on the counter in front of the glimmering emperor.

She stood back, hoping not to look nervous. It was only her basic cooking from home; she’d never been a world-star cook, but she’d always known enough to get her by without relying on instant noodles. “What do you think?”

“Interesting,” the ruler said. “We have plenty of knowledge of what it is to cook, but We can’t see how a thing of necessity such as eating could be considered an art form. We wouldn't have accepted the idea at all, if it was not offered by you.”

Despite the slightly harsh wording, Gudako didn’t take it to heart. After being berated by kings and authors alike, very little could phase her. She also got the distinct impression that nothing the ruler had said was said with the intent to personally offend anyone, despite some close calls. His opinions for two thousand years had become the fact of a world ruled by him alone, and so differing opinions seemed to be something he had yet to fully grasp.

“If you don’t like it, that’s okay. I just wanted to hear what you think.”

Qin Shi Huang slipped the chopsticks into his hand. Despite the innate knowledge of the era making any servant capable of using them, he took a moment to practise. As sleek and beautiful as his extended nails were, they seemed to put him at a slight disadvantage when it came to holding certain utensils effectively. However, it was a momentary obstruction, and he acclimatised himself after a short time.

He reached into the bowl ceremonially and lifted out a piece of chicken, briefly turning it to examine it. Then, when the visual test was satisfied, he placed it into his mouth somewhat mechanically and chewed. His face lit up immediately with surprise. He raised his hand to his mouth in silent shock.

“Well?”

The emperor fumbled for words even as he swallowed, flushing. “We… ah? This is not like anything We have experienced, in a whole two thousand years! We cannot fault this, as much as We might like to!”

“So, you like it?” she asked, with excitement.

He glanced from the bowl, from which he evidently wanted something else, to Ritsuka. “It is delicious! We are completely lost for words… As to be expected, from the one who inherited Our earth—but nevertheless, We were not expecting anything like this…”

“I’m not a very good cook, but it's the best I could do! If you like it,  you should talk to Emiya, he’ll make something really good if you ask nicely-”

The emperor blanked. “Surely you don’t mean to tell Us that this is considered amateur cooking?"

"I'm not really an expert at all."

The emperor looked simultaneously troubled and shocked. Ritsuka wasn't sure she'd ever seen him speechless; if she had known persuading him to speak more quietly was as easy as that, she would have tried it the moment she set foot in Qin.

Eventually, the emperor came up with something to say. "Umu... after this, We may have to change Our opinion on the art form."

She laughed softly, pleased that the idea had gone as well as it had. "Well, rest of it is all yours too—you should eat it before it goes cold. That, or another servant tries to take some."

The idea of losing any seemed to be too high a risk to take, and the emperor dipped the chopsticks into the bowl a second time, this time seeking out a noodle. Some sense of table etiquette born of summoning knowledge drove the emperor to hold a hand in front of his mouth as he spoke through a mouthful, eyes still bright and expression a little dreamy. "We have not personally joined in with Qin's feasts in over two thousand years.... Our favoured retainer should join Us! We permit it."

"That's okay! I only really made enough for one."

She then realised she had accidentally created a difficult decision for someone used to providing food for the hungry, and so assured the ruler as she sat down opposite him that she had already been given more than enough to eat over the course of the morning. 

She couldn't help but be glad; disproportionately so. His expressions while trying each element of the dish were as far from the cold dignity of an immortal emperor as she could imagine, even with some visible attempt on his part to retain dignity.

"Does this mean you'll come eat with everyone next time we make something?" Ritsuka said hopefully. There was no doubt the First Emperor was a little scary; there was no use denying it. He exerted the kind of pressure on rooms that a god might, and his demeanour could bring a gentle person (or servant) to tears, but she couldn't help but feel his intentions were only good. It felt a shame for him to miss out on better parts of human history, simply because he was determined to remain a guardian rather than a person.

The emperor hummed in thought before swallowing and nodding, with all the dignity of somebody who was already almost sold but unwilling to admit it. "We see no harm in accepting your offer."

Ritsuka beamed; to her surprise, he shot a mesmerising smile back.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

After hundreds of years of peace, the SIN Empire was falling apart. In the midst of it, a lone emperor stood with their people.

Their knees were scuffed and bloodied, the shimmering clothes that had been painstakingly created by the artists within their palace were scratched and worn. The shoes that were never intended to stand upon the earth were gathering mud from the wheat fields that stretched in perfectly organized order from the fallen Epang Palace to the horizon.

The future they had kept predictable and orderly was suddenly as wide and limitless as the open sky above them.

Despite being soon to lose everything they had ever made, they did not feel angry. They had never once been emotionless, because a being without love for humanity would never as gone as far as they to protect it, but the feeling that now threatened to crush their chest from the inside felt unfamiliar and distant.

They raised their fingertips to their eye and it came away wet.

Grief, they supposed—was the only reasonable thing it could have been.

They considered the millennia spent monitoring, law-making, deciding how to best provide, heal, pacify, control, protect. They had never felt tired as the Zhenren framework, but perhaps now, those two thousand years and the loss of the fight within the palace were weighing on them.

Finally, it was all black.

 

_It is over_ , they thought. Where did the spirit of an eternal emperor go, when the death they had overcome for two thousand years overcame them?

_It has been a very long time_ , they thought. _Perhaps now, We will rest_.

Eternity stretched on peacefully.

Then, as if a thousand voices were reaching out, there was nothing but light and chatter. The Throne of Heroes outside the flow of time and space was veritably abuzz with sound, conveyed through mind and sentiment that formed itself as understandable thought.

_You know the world that took yours over is still on the brink, don’t you?_

_You can’t rest yet_. 

_Answer the summon_.

*

An eternity away from the stillness of the empire, the Emperor’s form was a blaze of blue amongst the sunset tinted grass of some strange, hostile singularity. The most recent in a long line of golems towered from the grass like a mountain, destructive enough to crush an ordinary human beneath one of its swinging metal claws. A lancer darted and fought alongside, aided by an archer’s long-distance shots.

From Ritsuka’s vantage point she called out direction for which direction to doge a blow, intermittently shouting out the words to a spell to lend tactical advantage. The three servants worked as a formidable force, circling the enemy and never allowing it to move without one of them landing a blow from behind.

Metallic clashes rang out as the emperor's conjured mercury sword smashed down against the resurrected golem’s earthen body, splitting rubble far and wide. For a moment, all was still. Then, there was a sudden roar of earth splitting.

_Ruler!_

Qin Shi Huang had only a split second to glance behind him as the hand of a second golem rising for the earth smashed into him, sending him on a harsh downward arc into the field. He landed on his feet before his legs could give out, trails of dry dust billowing as he brought himself to a halt by dragging his feet deep into the mud.

_It must have been dormant! Are you okay?_

The ruler staggered then immediately took off towards it in a blaze of blue and silver, the flash of his fire the call of affirmation.

The group had not had more than an hour’s break between battles since arriving to the singularity. One of the fights alone would not have been difficult, but after so many Ritsuka’s magical circuits were operating at their maximum capacity and were beginning to reach a point of exhaustion.

She was filled with relief when the last golem finally fell to pieces under the onslaught of her servants. She saw Lancer begin towards her, and Archer the same. Qin Shi Huang, on looking her way, dematerialized from the torn up earth of battlefield and reappeared seamlessly closer to where she was stood, visibly out of breath and slightly scuffed.

 “You all did really, really well—Ruler, I’m really sorry I didn’t see that last attack coming. It’s my fault, I didn’t detect any energy signature.”

“We do not blame you,” he replied evenly, with some clear distaste towards the now inanimate boulders. “We were not expecting a cowardly trap.”

Lancer brushed their knees down and stretched out their arm. “I don't sense anything else around here. I think we should be safe for tonight as long as we don't go looking for trouble. We should contact the base then find somewhere to set up camp before it gets completely dark. What do you think, Master?”

“I was about to say the same.”

Qin Shi Huang nodded in approval. “This is acceptable to Us.”

Archer motioned in a third and final agreement. “If we pick a spot near the woods we might be sheltered, and Lancer and I might be able to hunt something to cook. I’ll set up camp with Master for now. I’m the least scathed, so it’s fair.”

Ritsuka nodded to the plan. She also knew her servants had fought hard and could do with a period of rest, even if it was brief. “Well, I could go for stew, if you want. Lancer, Ruler- if you stay in your spirit forms while we look for somewhere to stay, it’ll make our travel party less conspicuous.” 

*

Lancer and Archer disappeared into the woods soon after helping her set up camp. They had been unwilling to leave her behind, but Ritsuka, trying to let them down as gently as she could, insisted that she’d call for them straight away if she found herself in any danger. She doubted there would be any that required more than the one extremely powerful servant to handle, but servants were experts in jumping the gun when it concerned their master; should she as much as gasp at a spider, she’d doubtlessly be surrounded in an instant by three fully charged phantasms, and it had been too long a day to expend the energy.

For then, at least before the other servants returned and cooking began, it would be peaceful in camp. Ritsuka had spent some time dragging a couple of dry logs from the edge of the clearing to serve as a place for everyone sit at the edge of the low fire.

Truthfully, by sending both out into the woods, she had a second aim in mind.

Glancing over to Qin Shi Huang, she saw him sitting by the edge of the fire, looking deeply into the flames as they crackled. Ritsuka made to sit down next to the emperor, and in the most easy and human of motions he moved his hanfu from where it took up most of the room in order to give her a place.

It was peaceful in the clearing, with only the crackle of burning twigs and the distant hoot of a bird to interrupt their voices. The emperor momentarily covered a yawn with his hand.

“How are you, Your Majesty?”

The emperor waved her away. “Ah, Ruler or Shi Huangdi will do. Or, perhaps even Ying Zheng?” He seemed to entertain himself with the idea. “It has been a very long time since anyone called Us that.”

Ritsuka couldn’t help but feel that being in his presence was the closest anyone could get to sitting beside a god. While the actual gods she had met were wonderful in their own ways, they didn’t quite match the otherworldly beauty of the First Emperor. He had once been immortal, yet between the flawless form and powerful tone, one could spot glimpses of something that had originally been human.

“Your Majesty and Shi Huangdi are the same, aren’t they?” she ventured. “Your names mean the First Emperor, or the King of Qin.” Ritsuka hoped she had not botched the translation.

“Correct, umu. We appreciate the dedication you show Us by introducing Us as Their Majesty, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi—being crowned an eternal emperor thrice in one sentence is befitting of Us, who once ruled everything.”

Ritsuka couldn’t tell if he was speaking with some leaning towards affectionate mocking or if he was being completely serious.

“I couldn't imagine what it would be like if I ruled everything and saw everything, but suddenly became mortal... Being summoned as a servant is probably very different for you.”

Shi Huangdi was silent for a moment. “It is as if We are blind. Ah, cease that pitiable expression you make. We are adaptable, and this is an entirely new place for Us to conquer, is it not?”

He considered Ritsuka’s honest face, then spoke with a quirk of his lips, interrupted by a second yawn. “Do not insult Us with your worry.”

Ritsuka couldn't help but notice that the ruler was still dignified and presentable, but the slight scuffs on his knees matched the very slight lull in his voice.

“Have you slept, since arriving here?” she broached, delicately.

He did not seem further affronted, but rather turned to her with a look of genuine questioning. “Why would We? Servants have as little need of it as Our Zhenren framework did.”

“Most servants like to sleep.” Even if it wasn’t necessary. Others were more practical and didn’t see the use of risking their material form when a brief period of dormancy or a handful of spells were more apt; Ritsuka could understand why the emperor wasn’t willing to make a habit of something that he likely hadn’t done for over two millennia. “The battles today were difficult.”

“Be at peace,” said the Emperor, “It was several times easier than the duel between the two of Us in Our lostbelt. We aren’t in pain.”

Ritsuka thought it generous that he spoke of the fight with no bitterness. There was no harshness to the tone when the inevitable confrontation was brought up, merely a reverential sort of respect. Ritsuka thought she was beginning to understand why; the fight had been a fair one, almost duel-like in the rules, and it seemed he had made his peace with that.

“I know it’s probably a little rough compared to the accommodation you’re used to, but I brought the blankets from back at base for the tents. They’re bigger than they look, and probably warm... If you’re tired at all, it’d be a good time, strategically, to rest.”

She realised her servant must have been more fatigued than he had let on, because the response was not the immediate rejection she had expected.

“If you of all people advise Us, We may consider it, umu. Though, that would leave you undefended if danger should arise. We would be a fairly poor servant if We allowed that.”

“No, no, not at all—Lancer isn’t far, and they’ll both be back soon.”

The emperor turned to her. “Would We be incorrect in thinking you are suggesting We sleep?”

She held his gaze, noting he was not challenging her harshly; merely reiterating. “I think today has probably exhausted everyone. I think you might find it better than you think.”

“Alright,” the emperor said.

“Really?”

“We grant the request. Accompany Us. Rarely have We retired without a full party fussing over Us.”

When the emperor stood, she saw the faint slowness to the motion. Ritsuka felt the sudden impulse to take his hand or sleeve, as she might with another of her servants, but restrained herself; she had little idea how he’d respond to such an intrusion.

Ritsuka was not sure how he would fit within the confines of the cloth entrance, but as the external pieces of his outfit disappeared in a shimmer, she realised for a moment that he wasn't as vast as she'd thought. So much of him was made up in vast, splendid clothes and shimmering feathers that his more truthful form under it appeared lithe.

He came to sit only a little outside the front. For a moment she was not sure what he was doing, until she realised he was making to undo the various metal adornments holding his hair into order. It seemed it was not something he had had to do before, as his fingers were slightly clumsy as they sought the clasps.

“Your majesty- Ruler- if you wanted, I'd be happy to help.” She wasn't quite sure where the boldness came from, but rephrased it slightly for it to sound more palatable to the pride of a noble servant. “I’m sure plenty have served you, before, you were a… um, fortress.”

“That is fine. We permit it.”

He lowered his hands and she moved to kneel in front of him, gently feeling for the latch. She was very aware of the close proximity of his face, the steady rhythm of his breathing.

She undid the first clasp at his temple and noted the softness of his hair as she removed it in glimmering white and blue locks from the metal that held it in place. The hair fell neatly to the side of his face when unclipped.

When she moved about to do the second clasp, she found it in less good condition. “This is cracked, your Majesty…that’s a shame.”

He waved her away, as if it were of no consequence. “We have been in several battles today. It’s no surprise the clothes we came up with would suffer some wear and tear; We will repair it.”

Having freed him from the kind of obstructions that would hinder a peaceful rest, Ritsuka placed the ornaments neatly on the floor, but her hand didn’t linger far from his hair. Unexpectedly, she felt his own hand brush the back of hers, and she took it into her own, allowing the completely perfect hand and the elegant claws to enclose hers. He was warmer to her skin than she expected.

The emperor met her eyes. "We have not been touched in a long time. Consider it an honour, bestowed on you.”

She meant to apologise, but instead came up with something far more embarrassing. “You definitely touched my servants. Lancer kicked you.”

To this, he only snorted in amusement. "We did not mean in a combat sense,” he said quickly. Then, with quiet curiosity; "this feeling We are experiencing. We were told this might be a method of mana transfer.”

The emperor was right; she could sense the very faint tug of magical energy between her and her servant. His origin must have been hungry for repair for such a mild mana source such as skin to skin contact to give anything of note.

“If you lie down, I’ll sit right by you. I’ll be a battery.”

With some reluctance, the emperor gave up her hand and ran his fingers loosely though his hair to tidy it,then made to lie within the tent. What should have been a very simple manoeuvre took some time for him to figure over, logistically. She didn’t think he’d so much as laid down since being summoned. Ritsuka couldn't help but love servants; she had no doubt he could pilot an aircraft or program a computer on instinct, but _lying down_ was where the technical issue was arising.

When he had chosen the proper position atop the bedroll (his side, curled slightly so Ritsuka could sit in front of him and the inside of the tent behind him), he looked up with a serious expression.

“We permit you to stay.”

The words were forceful in content but gentle in tone; Ritsuka thought it might have been a request, and the emperor didn’t seem to have the words to ask things of others in ways that didn’t sound like royal decrees.

As promised, Ritsuka climbed in after him and sat on her knees. She offered her hand, and it was taken readily, beginning the thrum of energy. She went to lay a hesitant hand on his hair to give even a little more than the worth of a hand to palm—was it legal to touch an emperor?—but seeing her intent, he came to lie closer of his own will, so she might hold both his hands with ease.

He sighed out contentedly. “This reminds Us of Our time as a mortal. It was not all as pleasant as this, of course.”

Ritsuka was curious; she knew plenty of Qin Shi Huang’s life as a guardian of the world, and he had been pleased to describe it in detail, but she had heard little of his life before that. “Did you… enjoy being a human?”

 “Most of the memories We recall are troubling. But, We should not burden Our retainer with trivial, non-strategical things."

Ritsuka shook her head quickly. “I want to know. Unless you don’t want to say anything; that’s okay too.”

Qin Shi Huang made a low noise of consideration and redirected his gaze, so he was looking at the edge of the bedroll rather than at her. “Before being summoned, We had only the memories of the eternal SIN Empire. Now, We have two sets. That is to say, We remember Our last days in this history. And that grief… no, We will say nothing. We suppose you’ve heard all the laments from the heroic spirits before Us.”

Ritsuka was no longer an inexperienced master. Formally, she had little training at all, but she had learnt the difficult way of what it was to exist as a servant.

"You remember your own death," she murmured.

_A bed, a room, a dying king bound to it._

_A sickness that confused the senses, put tremors into limbs that had once been steadfast, and the medicine that would grant immortality._

_An endless stream of physicians crowded around. Alchemists, intelligent, astute, knew that surely the medicine, if more was taken, would cure the body and mind. They came from far and wide, blurring into the same clothes and the same faces._

_A smell of herbs, and then one of vomit._

_Fear. Despair._ _They were old, buried emotions to The Eternal Emperor of Qin, but they were resurfacing as black ink bled through paper._

_We do not want to die._

_We do not understand._

"Among other things.” He looked back to Ritsuka. “The immortality your mana provides Us is what the Us from this history desired most, umu, but it ended more miserably than We could have imagined. It was not an end befitting of one such as Us.”

Ritsuka felt the hesitance as he examined the back of her hand. There was such a difference between their hands; hers small and marked by command seals, a few faded scars on her wrist and knuckle from combat, his lithe and elegant and completely without blemish.

“It’s over,” she murmured. “If you’re killed here, you’ll return to the throne of heroes. You won’t age, and you’ll be able to come back, more or less. You won’t ever have to die like that again.”

“We suppose not. But you, who alone takes Our two thousand year old burden… you know neither the pain of dying nor the fate that awaits one who chooses immortality.”

Thoughts of the immortality elixir she had been gifted briefly flitted through her mind. "I'm not going to save humanity by myself, Your Majesty," she said. "You're helping me. Lots of others are too.”

This had always seemed a difficult point for the emperor to understand; that occasionally, things would not be in a single entity’s hand. It seemed even farther from comprehension now he was laid down and becoming slowly less responsive as sleep visibly took hold.

“We see,” he said. “And the immortality elixir... Have you given it further thought?”

“I have. I still haven’t decided, but—I did mean it, when I said I would consider it. It’s just a lot to think about.”

He nodded slowly, and Ritsuka even thought it might be approvingly. “We warned you it was an arduous choice, so We are assured to know you are not taking it lightly... “

There was some quiet between them, in which Ritsuka noted how his eyes once more traced her hand and the red seals seared into it. “What’s that look for?” she murmured.

Despite her initial carefree demeanour, Ritsuka was very good at reading others; even before summoning servants she had been good at it. “Would you like more mana?”

“We do not demand tribute of you today; you are already supporting more than one servant.”

Ritsuka translated his words into something more understandable and shook her head. “I don’t mind, Your Majesty. Like I said—I’m not very good at some things, but I’m good at being a battery, and… maybe it might help you sleep.”

From the way he averted his eyes, she suddenly realised it was not she who was the most hesitant.

“Very well. Come closer to Us.”

Ritsuka separated their hands gently. She laid down, so she would be facing the emperor, and slowly allowed herself to be drawn in closer to him; she could feel the warmth of his chest, and the slow inhale he gave as she found herself a comfortable place. The embarrassment that arose into her cheeks as he curled to better encompass her gave way to a sense of security; his hold was all encompassing and gentle. The fabric under them rustled softly as Ritsuka settled in, seeking to reconnect their hands, this time threading her fingers gently through his.

When she spoke, it was as softly as she could. “Is this alright?”

She felt his affirmative rather than heard it; the words in his chest were very low and quiet.

With careful movement, as if afraid to hurt her, he rested one arm over her, holding her closer by the small of her back.

Rulers all gave good hugs, Ritsuka thought, but none had felt so immediately safe to her before. She could feel the gentle in and out of his breath, first consciously, and then deeper, and more peaceful.

She realised the emperor was almost asleep.

She had intended to leave him be once he was resting, but she too was exhausted from the day, and lying down with the warmth of another seemed to quicken the fog of tiredness that was overtaking her. It wouldn't do anyone harm to sleep now. With a careful hand, she reached for the blanket at the side of the tent, hushing his grumble at being moved as she unfolded it as best as she could and pulling it as gently as she could over him.

With what might have been his last conscious motion, he took the edge to pull it properly over the both of them, securing them both against the cold of the approaching night.

She wondered, as sleep finally overtook her, if this was how it felt to sleep within his empire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go, I hope you've enjoyed things so far!  
> I love FGO's Qin Shi Huang, I've been really looking forward to writing the umu emperor and thought more content was needed.
> 
> In terms of gender I'm writing him as genderless, using both he and they - depending on the official translations next year I might end up doing a little edit work, but we shall see! The writing in LB3... I am still blown away


	3. Chapter 3

 

The same dream had come to the emperor almost every night for the past week. He had not even been aware servants could dream, but now it was a fixed occurrence, even while in spirit form.

He is on his hands and knees, digging through the rubble of the Epang Palace. Blurs of colour from the broken shards of jade and the pale red of his own grazed knuckles drift in his vision. He knows he is digging for something amongst the shattered remains of the treasures, but he cannot recall what; only that he cannot stop until he finds it. The pulse under his artificial flesh is quick. Finally, under a mangled decorative outer wing of the palace’s crown, his nails scratch into crushed wheat and soil. 

As soon as the surface is touched, a deep, angry thundering like distant storm begins to shake the ground; a sound that is felt rather than heard. Several metres ahead, the earth begins to give way into a deep, dark hole. He tries to escape from the growing abyss but the soil is crumbling too fast, and within moments he and the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of metallic scrap that once made up his body plunge into a sea of cold, impossibly heavy liquid.

He instinctively kicks to break the surface and but he can barely move. He reaches for the sky above SIN but it is too far away, and he is sinking deeper into the bottomless pit of pitch black mercury.

 

*

 

The cold landscape of the singularity made Ritsuka feel desolate. As far as the eye could see, there was almost nothing but mud and weedy grass filled with wildflower. In the distance she could see a copse of low trees, and closer to her what seemed to be an abandoned wagon sunk up to its frets in clay, but other than this, no living things stirred. Only one thing truly dominated the landscape; a dark, muddy hill that consumed the horizon. It loomed up out of the terrain like the rising swell of a strange wave coming inland.

Ritsuka watched the landscape and Qin Shi Huang in turn as she caught her breath. It had been a long walk, from the place they had initially rayshifted. She knew at the very least that they were in China. There was not much there though; a few barracks for soldiers and farming villages, all empty. She trusted her servant implicitly not to lead her into danger, but as the two had moved through the mud houses and abandoned cart tracks, she could not help but feel a sense of unease. None of this was helped by the manner of her servant; the usually outspoken and lively ruler was uncharacteristically quiet as they moved towards the distant energy signature. 

“Where are we, Your Majesty?” Ritsuka said.

Her only servant looked ahead with a strange, faraway expression, as if he hadn’t heard her at all. He was ill suited to such a sombre landscape; his vast robes and silvery hair stirred in the wind. "When you came to Our empire, what did you think? What was the first thing you saw?"

Ritsuka tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Humour Us for a moment. Simply answer with what you saw, and do not overthink.”

"Well… it was fields, right? All the way to the horizon. A lot of wheat."

The emperor nodded vigorously. “Yes, indeed. We thought you might say something along those lines. And if We returned there now, exactly as We are, without Our technology nor Our palace... what do you think We would see, perhaps? Our world, that We strove for? Or a lot of wheat?”

"I’m not sure."

The emperor smiled bravely. “A fair answer. Pretending to know is of no use in this sort of situation. Come along! The entrance should be just up ahead.”

He set off at such a brisk pace that Ritsuka struggled to keep up without breaking into a jog every few strides. Just as he had said, some way from the foot of the hill and previously concealed by a smaller verge of trees was the pitch-black mouth of a tunnel entrance. The pair slowed on the approach. A glance to her servant reflected her own attentive expression. They had both felt something in the air, cold and prickling with magic.

Suddenly, an unearthly howl sounded up from seemingly nowhere. It was equal parts human suffering and wraithlike anger; like something set ablaze. The emperor did not step back - pride allowed for no such retreats - but he beckoned with one hand for Ritsuka to ready herself quickly. She assumed a combat stance just as a ghastly clawed bone hand tore up through the mud, followed by a second and third. Muddy skulls wrenched themselves free of the ground, materializing out of the earth with harrowing shrieks; the ghouls were wearing remains of tattered peasant’s robes, their energy unsettling and dark.

“ _You_ …” hissed the spectre.  “ _You_!”

“Ruler, be careful! I’ll support you from as close as I can!”

The emperor spoke calmly, eyes never glancing away from the enemies. “Come as close as you need. It is not you they are after.”

The emperor launched into combat with precision, dispatching the ghosts with overpowering efficiency. Ritsuka barely assisted; there was no opening to, nor a reason. In the rush of combat the emperor's robes glittered and flowed. Under the onslaught of the mercury sword, none of the gathering pack withstood more than a few crushing blows before dissipating into dust at the mouth of the cave. 

 _You, you, you_ echoed in the wind.

The emperor returned his sword to its natural state as part of his celestial robes, then turned away from her to face the dark entrance. “It won’t be much further now.”

Ritsuka shook her head. Where once she would have been too respectful to even touch him without permission, she reached out her hand and took his firmly. His brows raised, just enough for her to know she had caught him by surprise. “I still don’t know where we’re going! If you talk to me, maybe I can help.”

The emperor laughed under his breath. “Hoh. You are curious? You shall see soon enough.”

Her eyes drifted downward as she felt his hand unexpectedly tremble against her own. Equally unsuspecting, the emperor withdrew it from hers and shut the fist tightly. “Do not for a second think We are unwilling to go on. Our origin is simply responding; We must be close.”

Ritsuka wanted to say something more, but could tell from the look in her servant’s eyes that further questions wouldn’t get her answers. Instead, she settled for; “do you want me to get out my torch?”

The emperor lit a small, glowing blue flame in the palm of one hand. “That will not be necessary.”

 In silence, the two stepped into the passageway. From the entrance, it was a steep downward descent. Rather than being naturally formed wall, as Ritsuka has expected, the path was man made, with stone walls, floors, and heavy wooden beams crossing the ceiling supporting the weight of the earth. It smelled dry and metallic. It’s _cold_ , she thought; _really, really cold_. She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered.

The two walked in silence for what felt like a very long time. Being a servant and taller, she knew a simple walking pace was likely slow for the emperor; but it felt as if she was being purposefully left behind. If a servant's strength did not rely on the proximity of the master, she thought he might. 

He suddenly stopped dead, again motioning for her to prepare herself. “Wait.”

He raised a hand, quickly melding a ball of mercury, and then fired it off onto the floor. A trio of crossbows shot out of a hatch, cracking into the stone of the opposite wall. She saw his eyes narrow, clearly seeking other traps within the dark, then his nod of affirmation when he saw none.

“Continue.”

As they walked further, there came a glimmer of orange light. At the far end of the corridor, they were approaching a burning torch, illuminating a pair of vast stone doors.

Ritsuka had been to many places she was afraid of. The job she had unwittingly found herself in what felt like a lifetime ago was dangerous, and there were certain things she learnt without meaning to. She knew when a place felt wrong; it was a feeling that settled over her body like a weight.

“Where are we?”

For the first time since the two had rayshifted, the emperor looked her properly in the eyes. There was a strange expression on his face that Ritsuka hadn’t seen on him before. He seemed almost disquieted in the faint blue light.

“When We learnt the location of this singularity, We knew instantly what the source would be. We have no desire to see what awaits Us here; We find the idea abhorrent, truthfully.... But turning away from history is something We cannot tolerate. If SIN was an off branch of this history, then it could be considered another truth. This is what this is, too. That is what is behind those doors.”

Ritsuka realised something. It was so far from her expectations of the emperor that she hadn’t even considered it, until she saw the ghost of it flicker on his expression. “Your Majesty… are you afraid?”

“Of course We are. But, expect no pathetic scene of cowardice from Us; this is simply something that must be faced head on."

Ritsuka should have realised where they were, long, long ago.

The emperor laid one hand on the door. “This is it. Prepare yourself, and stay back.”

If the emperor’s courage failed him for even a moment, nobody save Ritsuka would have known. With a powerful push, the doors swung open wide into the pit of the tomb.

Intricate oil lamps burnt in the vast, dark cavern. Their yellow light reflected over vast pools of shimmering silver mercury that stretched from one end of the room to another, and the ceiling embedded with gemstones. It was grand, yet dilapidated; empty. In front of it all was an ebbing mass of violet shadows and corrupt energy.

At the sight of a living person, the shadows withdrew, as if they were being reigned in. Underneath the haze of violet was the form of a middle aged man. He was dressed grandly, beautifully even, in the shimmering robes and crown of an emperor. The resemblance was not exact, but Ritsuka could see it immediately in the stubborn arch of the eyebrows, the sharp, elegant nose and watchful eyes- it seemed the emperor had not changed every aspect of his form while creating a new body.

On her journeys, Ritsuka had seen creatures with sharp teeth and strange forms and hundreds of burning eyes, but no beast set her on edge like shadow servants. They had the voices of the servants she knew, they fought like them and they resembled them too, in a distorted sense, but it was a mistake to think even for a moment that they were the same person. They were incomplete, and wrong; confused, angry half-copies who could suffer and bleed but think only in fragments. A handful could recall the burning pride that sustained them in life, and others would deludedly identify her as some long-dead foe. She hated fighting them. It was easier when they wished to kill her and her servants outright; their mindless onslaught was better than their confusion, and even worse still; their pleads for mercy.

“Who are you?” the shadow servant demanded. A voice for bringing armies to heel. “State your names, or you will die where you stand.”

Risuka saw the emperor's hand come to rest at his shoulder, ready to draw his weapon. “We are Qin Shi Huang Di, and the last master of humanity. We are here to destroy this place and you with it. Its existence is an insult to Us.”

The shadow emperor shook his head, as if trying to dislodge something. His eyes flashed dangerously, and the cloud of swirling mana darkened. "You say you are assassins, here to destroy the eternal Qin empire. Well, you best be prepared for all your arrogance. You are not the first to try!”

Ritsuka’s magical circuits began to thrum with hectic energy as her servant’s own flared into life. From the shadow emperor’s belt, an ornamental sword as black as night was drawn. Both combatants seemed utter fixed on meeting their opponent head on; there was no glimmer of a peaceful resolution. It was her ruler who was first to lunge, in a great flash of fire. A deafening clash rang around the cavern as their swords struck.

The shadow servant was quicker than Ritsuka or the emperor had anticipated. A harsh blow of breath escaped the emperor’s mouth as the strength of the shadow servant forced him to step back. And then, as if both had instantly understood the strength of the other, they began to duel.

Ritsuka’s eyes could barely follow them as they set upon one another with speed and ferocity a human couldn’t hope to match. One vast oil lamp was toppled and hissed out. Their blades met again, swinging and parrying; the two were closely matched, but through grit and fury her own servant had the advantage. The shadow was forced ankle deep into the mercury; unsteady footing briefly denting his onslaught.

 _Ruler!_ Ritsuka called _\- Now!_

Magic crackled. The shadow froze in mid attack, muscles paralyzed against his will as Ritsuka’s spell bound him for an instant. The half second was all the emperor needed to run his sword into him; he was forced onto his knees, robes tattered at the sleeve.

The shadow looked up with an expression of furious pride, eyes burning from behind the hanging beads of his crown. “ _Who are you?”_

“We will speak it once more, and once more only. We are the true Qin Shi Huangdi, the Son of Heaven. Be still, and shall We permit you to die a dignified death at Our feet.” 

The violet smog began to rapidly swarm about the shadow servant; Ritsuka’s circuits began to sting with the sudden vast increase of energy, like her skin was prickling in sudden heat after cold.

“You’re wrong,” the spirit hissed. _“You are not the emperor_ , and I will do no such thing. _I will not die here_ . _We will not die._ **_We_ ** _will live for ten thousand years, eternally.”_

_Ruler, get back! Something’s wrong!_

The emperor raised his sword as if he had not heard her at all. It was so dark that Ritsuka was losing visibility of both of them; she could see the outline of the blade glimmering, and then the voice of the shadow servant, rasping as if it were rattling straight into her skull.

_“Some gaudy assassin who dresses like a king… You shall be buried under the wall, with Our thousand other stepping stones!”_

There was a horrible scream of magic slicing air. Claws the size of scimitars curved up out of the fog. Teeth. Bone. A skull with black pits of eyes, and tattered celestial robes hanging from the monstrous skeletal form of a giant wraith.

In the moment the emperor saw the true power of the foe, the second of distraction was enough for the shadow’s claw to strike at him. He vanished in a flash of blue fire and reappeared a few metres away, then dodged a second strike and a third, blinking as if in harsh sunlight. The fourth landed, glancing the armour on his shoulder before being deflected away by his blade. 

Ritsuka could see he wasn't fast enough to avoid the next blows. Something about the magic the wraith was exerting; she could sense it too, as if her circuits were stuck knee-deep in mud. She prayed for her servant to hold on as she quickly performed further help; her magic visibly lit up around the emperor. A vast claw crashed down, meeting his blade.

“The people!” The emperor gritted his teeth. “If you live on, what becomes of your people?”

 _“People_ ?” The shadow spoke now as something no longer human; it was entirely hatred.  “ _We are the Emperor. They are Our commodities_!”

And then, such a wave of horrible magic swept the room that Ritsuka felt faint. Her vision blurred. She saw her knees hit the floor, but felt nothing.

She blinked and saw an ancient, beautiful palace.

*

_It is the height of summer. The air is dead and hot and still. The workers are toiling in the glaring sun, labouring over the grand steps of the palace, while the emperor, young and cautious, watches from the shade of the awnings. The grounds are charged with the feeling of something great happening; history, ticking away._

_Time seems to gallop; it is another summer, different from the last only in how much more of the palace is complete. There is some great commotion within the Forbidden City; guards rush from their posts to the throne room, but they are too late to perform their protective duty. The body of the would-be assassin is dragged unceremoniously from the building. It is not the first._

_Another few paces forward. The palace is nearly complete, but the sky is crushingly bright. There is a great pyre burning in the courtyard. The atmosphere is one of anger and fear, though of who it is difficult to tell. The noblemen and officials and the emperor alike are watching the fire as guards, warriors of men with empty faces, tip cases of scrolls into the blaze. There are prisoners, too- hundreds of them knelt on the stone, awaiting their fates._

_It is hopeless to fight back, the air says. They say the king here will swallow the whole world. It is easy to believe it, and to kneel. It is easier to suffer._

_But there is something wrong with the scene; the fire is almost too perfect in its blaze, the palace is realistic and as it should be, but- it is too perfect. The perfect representation of a legend. Who’s fear is this, in the air? The audience thinks. And then the audience realises they are only an audience._

Most mages would struggle to break the hold of even a weak illusion. But, with tenacity, and training from servants who relied on trickery and illusion, even a mage with naturally subpar magical circuits could learn to resist. 

In reality, only a couple of seconds had passed. Ritsuka blinked slowly, trying to make sense of what her eyes were telling her. What she was seeing felt like another delusion. Then, with a horrible, horrible realisation, her stomach felt like it dropped. The tomb’s seas and rivers of mercury, crawling up out of its basin, towards both master and servant; a vast, crushing force. While the two dreamt, the mercury was going to crush them.

It was not just her who was affected; up ahead, her servant stood motionless while the tide came in.

Ritsuka didn’t think. She simply began to run. Her outstretched hand reached and grabbed on to the first part of the emperor’s clothes she could reach. His red eyes were fixed ahead in a wide stare, but weren’t seeing any of what was actually in front of them. "Ruler!” She shook him roughly. “Snap out of it!”

She had caught the burning gaze of the great, undead thing that might have once been a servant. It turned to face her, the pits of its empty eyes blazing a furious black. The liquid metal began to pour faster. It was higher than headheight; it moved with a low rumble like approaching  thunder, cracking the ground with its impossible metallic weight.

Immediately she dug her heels in and began to drag with a fistful of sleeve. Her whole weight strained to force him to take one single step. “Ruler! It’s just an illusion! It’s not real!”

The tide was so near. Its shadow was soon to eclipse both she and the emperor entirely. It was about to touch her. It was too close to run. She calculated in the second she had, and could only come up with one thing.  _I'm really sorry_ , _your Majesty,_ she thought _. I don’t like doing this without asking_. 

She pulled back her sleeve. "I command you to release your noble phantasm.”

The resulting flash of light might just have blinded her. She heard the emperor breath out hard, as if he had been holding his breath, then felt his arms clasped tightly around her, dragging her in. She instinctively shut her eyes, as she was enveloped by the emperor and the unbreakable wall of his phantasm.

All around she could hear the roar of the Domination Beginning’s impassable barrier, and see the burn of light through her eyelids where it’s fantastical form of light and illusions of feathers would allow not even the tonnes of mercury to pass. Ritsuka opened her eyes to see the sea of mercury washing about them, parting and crashing overhead the emperor’s hand clasped tightly around her.

“You’ve only got one chance to hit him!” She said. “You’ll have to shoot it down through the mercury!”

“If We shoot through Our Phantasm, you will be crushed!”

“If your aim is good I’ll be fine!”

“We cannot see!”

“Guess!”

There was no time to think. She felt the hold on her loosen as the sword was drawn, and arm steadied. A moment of perfect stillness, and then the emperor threw his sword, the vastest it could become, at the shadow. The sea of mercury split open above them as it flew like an arrow, revealing for just one moment the ghastly form in the line of fire. It was a perfect shot; the blade drove under the skull, into the very top of the chest through the bone. For a moment, the sword hung still amongst the bone and fabric, piering but unaffected. Then, it exploded into shrapnel, and the skull shattered into pieces.

The wraith made an awful shrieking wail and then collapsed into corrupt energy and dissipated. 

*

When the dust finally settled, both servant and master were deeply out of breath. She was released; she suspected her servant felt just as frayed from magical use as her circuits did.

The emperor surveyed the damage of the tomb. The mercury had lost its animacy, some of it pouring back into the basin, and in other places coming to form globules.  “We apologize for falling victim to such an obvious illusion,” He said. “One such as Us should not require aid. If you had not stepped in, you would have been crushed.”

Ritsuka shook her head. “It's alright. It’s what a master is supposed to do. I’m sorry for using a command spell on you.”

“The circumstances required it,” he said. He moved towards the remains of the wraith and looked down on the torn up fabric of the shadow servant's robes. The crown too; unrecognizable, save for the decoration. His expression was no lighter for having defeated the foe.

Ritsuka came to his side. “What’s wrong?”

“If SIN no longer exists… is this what We are? If We have his memories, and his face; are We a tyrant who made slaves of his people? The first True Man? If this despotic, crazy old fool is what is left; what did Our two thousand years amount to? This is the truth We must face...”

“You’re wrong, Your Majesty.”

Two red eyes blinked at her. 

“Two thousand years and this history went into you, but that doesn’t mean everything is all done with! You don’t have to accept it. If what we saw was or wasn’t true, there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

“Our people suffered, due to this version of Us.”

“But some of them lived perfectly happy lives too! I saw it. You can only live for now, Your Majesty - you can’t do anything about the histories that are over and done with, but this one is still a huge mess.”

The emperor frowned. “We cannot simply allow Ourself to forget things We do not wish to take responsibility for.”

“There’s no responsibility left to take. Or maybe there is, but - how are you supposed to take it? Other than trying to help the people who are still here?”

The emperor contemplated this in silence for what felt like a very long time. Then, he said - “We did not consider things from that perspective.”

Ritsuka took his hand. By the returning press of his palm, she didn’t think he minded. The tomb was still now; the air itself felt at rest.

"Shall we go home?" She asked, finally. “I think I’m getting a cold.”

 

*

 

Ritsuka didn't understand how it had happened.

It was of some comfort that no servant could catch a cold off her, but it was still frustrating for such an active person to be caught off guard. Be it from exposure to the elements from the singularity or simple bad luck, Ritsuka was bed bound with flu. 

She was passing the time by arguing with the first emperor about the morality of the mobile phone; as was the most logical activity for someone under doctor’s orders of peace and quiet.

“Alright,” the Emperor declared. “We will go through this again, _once more_ , but that is it. You should be thoroughly honoured to have taken up as much of Our time as you have on such a trivial matter.”

Ritsuka leaned forwards over the blankets, eyes glittering with determination. “I’m ready.”

“So be it.” The emperor paused, and took an unnecessarily loud breath. “As wonderful as you assure Us the cell phone is, having one would be against Our principles. There can be no argument or debate; We will not add to the mass information sharing of this history. It is frivolous and unnecessary.”

“But there’s no chaos to add to! The world is already such a mess, and it only really works with the base’s connection! You’ll be able to send me messages if I’m on the other side of it.”

“If We have something to say, We will send for you in person.”

“What if I’m sick, in bed?”

“We will send for you.” 

Ritsuka felt assured to know her health was the priority. She almost thought to tell him that a picture is worth a thousand words, but given his infamous opinions on literature and writing in general, she quickly thought better of it.

When he reached out for her. Ritsuka thought for a moment that he would take her cheek in her hand, but instead he swept her hair away with the back of his hand and pressed it to her forehead. “You are still warmer than ideal. You would be better sooner, if only you did not insist on getting up to solve petty arguments between servants.”

“And let you all brawl unsupervised? I should at least be referee.”

The emperor pulled over the spare chair. “How pitifully weak the human body is… you cannot help your stubbornness.”

Though she did not say it, she could name one person in the room far more stubborn in achieving their goals than she.

Some peace and quiet passed, during which Ritsuka reached out a hand to look for the emperor’s, to pat the smooth back of his hand and knuckles. Some months ago, she wouldn’t have dared.

“You’ve never looked after someone before, have you?” she whispered. “Your bedside manner is a little bit, uh…”

“We are the Son of Heaven. We have have cared for millions.”

“Face to face, I mean.”

“No,” the emperor said, with an air of admittance. “None directly, with Our own hands.”

Ritsuka thought, looking at the emperor, that she might have been a little harsh. While it was true that his bedside manner was forceful, for all the harsh words and fault-finding, the emperor had diligently entertained her with card games (of which he won every round; losing out of pity never once occurred to him) and several spirited political discussions. She suspected it had not been easy for a ruler who had cured the planet of all diseases to sit by and watch her ineffective struggle towards wellness. She allowed the grumbling and the mild threats of world conquering to pass. 

The emperor seemed to be thinking of something, and then made the motion of getting up. “Wait here for a moment. We have something for you.”

“Can I come?”

“You are exceedingly brazen to invite yourself to Our room. Yes, you may; when you are better. For now, wait there.”

“We could spend more time together if you let me come,” she said, strategically appealing the side of the emperor that was both logical and slightly greedy.

Ritsuka had seen the emperor's room before, but she loved to see what servants did to personalise their space with the resources they had to hand. The emperor's was especially nice; she could not help but think it slightly detracted from his arguments against frivolous use of artwork. The bed even had a decorative canopy.

“You seem far better than you were, but rushing about when you have only just recovered would be foolish. You may make up the minutes later. We do not forget what We are owed.”

She began to laugh softly.

"You think Us funny? How impertinent...“

Even if he had not been smiling, Ritsuka couldn’t help but laugh more. “ _Go_ , your majesty. I won’t be going anywhere.”

At this, the emperor reigned himself in somewhat and nodded, still faintly smiling. “Yes- well. Indeed. Stay exactly where you are, for a moment. We just completed it this morning.”

The emperor left the room, leaving Ritsuka’s curiosity to grow. What exactly had the emperor been making that he only recently completed? She took the time to properly sit up in bed, rearranging the pillows neatly. At the sound of footsteps returning, Ritsuka peered around the bed to catch a glimpse of what she might see.

In the emperor’s hands was golden hanging lamp-like structure, a size easily held against his chest. The emperor seemed to take a moment to compose himself before holding it out. He brought it to her side and placed it in front of her, so she might feel its surprising weight on her lap.

“This is a model of the Epang Palace, to scale, with full detail. It is a gift to you, Our most treasured retainer.”

Ritsuka heard herself gasp softly at its beauty; the golden outstretched wings of its crown, and the delicate spiralling metal. The chain ended in a beautiful little feather. At the emperor's outstretched hands, she took it gently into her own palms, afraid to damage the beautiful carvings.

"It was a stretch of Our crafting abilities, We must confess.... We are used to working on a far larger scale...”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, mouth slightly open. For a moment, she couldn’t think of anything at all. “Are you sure it’s… okay, for me to have this?”

“You still fail to see your own worth. Would We make such a thing without a recipient in mind?”

Ritsuka ran a hand gently over the golden shape of its form.

"It is to express Our thanks for your ongoing dedication to Us… and the understanding We have to come to.” The emperor nodded. "Though We appear to you as a human bodied servant, it has not always been the case. We wish you to look upon this without fear… as this is the Epang Palace. It, too, is Us. Though this body is something you can touch, and is the part of Us you are most familiar with, We wish you to see Us as We appear now and this palace as two things that cannot be separated.”

Ritsuka glanced to the lantern and felt overwhelmed with it; she bowed her head, feeling she might tear up if she were to look at him.

"I'm honoured… Ying Zheng."

The emperor hummed out softly. “It is bold of you to finally use Our personal name," he said. Then, far more gently; "but not unwelcome."

He opened his eyes and extended a hand to cup Ritsuka's jaw, his eyes examining her face, both in expression and form. She tilted her head with his gentle exploration, allowing him to trace the largest scar on her cheek with soft fingertips. They had no fingerprint of their own, merely perfectly smooth skin in uniform texture. 

“Surely We haven’t made Our retainer cry?”

Ritsuka sniffed. “Only a little! I’m okay, honest!” She went to wipe her eyes with her sleeve and took a breath in. “You really surprised me!”

“Being a servant is different to our life, as we ruled,” he murmured, drawing closer. “We sought nothing like this, as a fortress. We designed this form to transcend human limitation, and all forms of wants. As a servant, why is it Our intentions have been so disrupted?”

Between the two was nothing but the lantern, cradled close to Ritsuka’s chest.

“Well, being a servant is very different to being a fortress."

The emperor closed his eyes in a slow blink. "You are right, of course. It is illogical of Us to expect things to remain the same."

"Is there… something wrong?”

The emperor shook his head and took the miniature from her hands, placing it down with care on the bed. "We are merely thinking." The emperor laughed quietly from the very back of his throat. "In Our palace; We called Yu Miaoyi foolish. Do you remember it? We called her foolish for the extremes her devotion pushed her to. Perhaps if We had known the trouble this form would cause Us, We might have looked upon her differently… yes, there is no changing it now."

Ritsuka smiled, but could not maintain it.

"Your Majesty… are you unhappy? Being here, as a servant?”

The emperor shook his head.

"You must think of the lives of servants as dreams... We thought, perhaps somewhat naively, that We were different. It has occurred to Us that perhaps Our SIN, an offshoot to your history, was merely the same. Our people are not unhappy, nor unhappy, and neither are We - it is simply that they exist within a dream. The one We made." 

He bent slightly, so he might see her face clearly, on an equal height. “We are enjoying being here. We thought when We took this form, that We might remain separate, and live by Our definition of what it is to be human… but your history, again, has succeeded. You see?”

He leaned in slightly; Ritsuka saw the faint pinkness to his cheeks.

She turned her face up slowly to catch his lips.

“We are too old for you,” he said, but did not pull away.

Ritsuka said, gently withdrew, but remained very close. “You’ve barely been in this history for half a year. Your body is new.”

“We are still far older than you can ever hope to be.”

“I'm cradle snatching,” she said. Then, more softly- “I’m an adult. Even if I was eighty, you would still be two thousand - but…" she nodded quickly. "I understand. It’s your decision. I only want this if you want it too."

The Emperor’s indecision was clear on his face, and some doubt seemed to manifest. Finally, he leaned in and for the first time in two thousand years and kissed another living being.

Ritsuka had not known what to expect; his kiss was calculated, inexperienced, but exceedingly gentle; and then as she brought her hands up to cup his jaw, he sighed out softly.

“We will be late,” the emperor said, in a daze. “We promised Our assistance with calibrating the communication equipment. We should return to the control room…"

“Well… you could be just a little late. Someone else will be there keeping things in order until you arrive.”

The emperor considered this idea carefully. In almost two thousand years, there had never been another to rely on to ease the burden, or share tasks with. The idea was strange, unprecedented; but in a way that they would admit only to themselves, relieving.

 

 

_The emperor that once ruled over all gave up their world, and their people slept within it as if it were a dream._

_It was possible that they would live forever as a spirit, beside the one they had deemed worthy of immortality._ _If not, they would fade and return to nothing in preparation to be called back again, should they choose to answer the call of another._

 _We don't mind this_ , they thought, _if_ _We can improve the world We are a part of_.

The emperor rarely had bad dreams.

 

 


End file.
